TOLD BY READERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 279, 24 November 1928, Page 2 (Supplement)

TOLD BY READERS.

Hi ORIGINAL STORIES UNDER THIS HSADIWG ARE §§§§ j!j INVITED FOR OUR PORT7JIGHTLY COMPETITION.

SHANGHAIED.

(By IT. Leonard Heatley, 20. Kelvin ltd., Kemucra, age 13.) Two days from Laulu the auxiliary ketch Cocile ran before a fair east wind. John Arney, who skippered this craft, and known throughout the Islands as "Jumping Jack," was as good a waster as the fatthfnl Tongan crew could have had. His character would impress anyone who came into contact with him, while his broad shoulders and sinewy arms gave an impression of great strength. For a crew lie carried a white youth, who acted as mate, a kanaka bos'un, who sailed under the name of Laio'Lo, and live other South Sea men, one of whom acted as cook. They had been with h:in for four years now, and as they could not wish for a better master, so he, iu his turn, could not wish for a better crew; and now, two days from Laulu, Island of Palms, the ketch glided along before a fair east wind, with four brown figures stretched out on deck, and one at the wheel.

Anchored inside the coral fringe at Laulu were several- vessels, aiuoimst them, easily recognised, was the long rakish barque commanded by Captain Era C'ompton, who had an unenviable reputation for pearl smuggling, and who had more shanghaied seamen to his credit than he cared to boast. Business with the natives was not so brisk today, und as he lounged in his hammock he cursed volubly, and took frequent and copious draughts from a ■whisky bottle by his side. Even as he lay there he. was thinking of the three men who, that day, had diverted the ship, and who had taken his 'second wbalcboat, sick of the cruel time that ■was meted out to them, and he decided to replenish his depleted crew by means known only to himself.. With that villainous idea in his head he rose, and rousing four of his remaining men into activity, he rowed to the beach.

Xow, it so happened -that as C'ompton and his followers reached the' outskirts of the forest and emerged therefrom, who should come along but William Atlcy, eighteen-year-old mate . of the C'ecilc, and as this was his first voyage to these parts, he did not recognise in this white man the rascally and overbearing skipper of whom he had heard. C'ompton, however, always ready to take his chances, signed to two of his kanakas to seize him, and though he struggled it was of no avail; carried in the powerful grip of the natives'lie was taken aboard, and that evening the barque Wings uphooked and slowly drew out of the lagoon. The next day, Laulu having dropped estcrii, the young mate was set to work on the rigging, and though he showed signs of pluck in refusing at first, ten strokes with a rope's end, administered by the brawny bos'un, compelled him to commence, but he vowed that with the earliest opportunity he would settle accounts. He ate and slept with the dark crew, and from what he gathered from their conversation, they were ripe for mutiny. The night being hot and sultry, the crow were given permission to bring their tapn mats on deck, and as Atley lay tiiere he saw a dark shadow creepins stealthily along towards the low-railed poop, with moonlight glinting ou s t;, e j. But just as the shadow halted preparatory to flinging his long bush knife a s.iot rang out, and a howl of pain rent the air as the llalaita "bov" sank back on.the deck.

the rest, however, knowing that the skipper had only live cartridges left, and that the Yankee mate was below, rushed, with the inevitable result that, although Urapton pulled the trigger he was bowled over, and but for tlic timely intervcntion of Alley, who by this time had gained the poop, lie would hr.ve been hilled instantly. The Yank, coming up the compauionway, in response to the muffled shout which his superior managed to give, gazed in amazement at the revolver levelled at his head, and hearing a curt. Hand*; up," he raised his arms above ins head.

Ihe ship being now in the- hands of he kanakas Atley turned his attention to the wounded captain. Although suir fering from no serious injury he was unconscious as the result 0 f the rough handling of the infuriated crew. Deciding that a few bucketfuls of fresh salt water would settle him and giviri" orders to that effect, Atley next turned his attention to the management of the ship. Since he was the only one aboard who had any knowledge of navigation, and the natives, knowing the indignities which he had suffered, he was, by common consent, in command, and as such lie accordingly put the ship about, and set a course for distant La-lu.

John Arney was in a thoughtful mood. He had seen the Wings sail that night, but had attached no importance to this until he remembered who the captain was. Even then he gave the matter no further thought, but when his young mate did not appear, he was somewhat perplexed.

The next day, just before seven bells in the forenoon watch, wliHe he was busy supervising the loading, of the copra cargo, he observed a kanaka swimming towards the ship, evidently having something of importance to impart. When the native reached the ladder he requested in his "pidgin'' English, to ';ce "the feller white captain belongum roller ship." and when Arney went to him, he got a big surprise in 'the nature of the information.

"You feller v name beionga you? demanded Arney,

"Solimao name beionga black fella," answered the kanaka, ""Soli inao he belongs ship no gone."

From the vast of the black's utterances, the white man learned that, in a ship gone (he night' previously, the ship to which the imparter of the news had once belonged, there was a "young white master"' who had not gone on hoard of his own free will; in other words, lie deckled that his mate had been shanghaied, and was now working under compulsion for the notorious C'ompton. Despite'tire start (bat the barque had got, Arney determined to rescue "the young wliite master" at all costs.

Two days from Laulu the ketch C'ecjlc before a fair east wind witJi four brown figures standing, armed, on deck, and one at the wheel, heeled over under strain of full canvas. By approximate calculations, Arney knew that his adversary could not be more than half a day ahead, and yet the description of the barque tallied closely with the vessel approaching him, and as they drew nearer he saw that the. description no longer only tallied; it fitted like a glove. Why, then, was Oompton turning back, assuming, of course, that he was still iu command of her.

When the two had converged (o about half a mile: Arney, discerning a wliite figure on the other's deck, immediately gave orders, and the kanakas leapt into the rigging. As the ketth hove to, the barque coming within shouting distance, did likewise, and soon a boat came swinging from her and there was no more surprised man than Arney when he saw his missing mate sitting in the stern-sheets, a loaded rifle across his knees and with two South Sea men and two white men pulling at the oars. As soon as the boat had bumped alongside, Atlcy, grinning now, ordered C'ompton and his underling to board the ketch, and C'ompton, cursing vehemently and hurling foul epithets at the natives, had perforce to obey. Later on, the news conveyed to him by his subordinate, Arney went forward to the prisoners' quarter by the bo'som, and after lecturing them on various things, shanghai-ing in particular, he tumbled them into the boat with a parting word about showing _ their faces round the Islands again. But just as he turned round he heard Compton's voice raised in sullen appeal.

'Captain, will you give me my gun?" "Iso," answered Arnev, "what" do you want a gun for?" "If I don't have one on board my hooker I'm a dead man," was the reply, -if I was anybody else vou'd have been one long ago " said A " r t here, catch this."

The revolver fell into the boat and Compton picking it up covered the SSSh.* 101 '*• and as Arae y stc pp e<l ™, • c ° m l> a ">°n-way he heard a oarse voice bellow; "Washywashy vou t S »™ 0 / J? knock ''ells out «JV' an , d . the " black sc ">»" wisely washy-washied" for the Compton « u a term m his hand was the 1 Comjlo,,

Two days from Faliaoi, Isle of Treo s with well-filled hold, the ketch ESS ran smoothly, under' the proS^'i? fetched out on deck and one at the